Physicist Stephen Hawking graciously conceded an ongoing bet he's had concerning the "black hole information paradox," after reconciling theoretical physics with what we've been able to observe from Earth about what can escape from a black hole. Without missing a beat, he's decided to enter an even more uncertain domain with his recent political activism:

It's my turn to make a wager with Dr. Hawking. The bet is that history will not judge the liberation of Iraq as a "tragedy," but as the first glimmer of hope for millions of people in the Middle East who live under theocratic dictatorships, that they may one day hold freedoms they can not currently exercise. Freedom to question their leaders. Freedom for women to earn an education. Freedom from slavery. Freedom from forced marriage.

The loser buys the winner a dictionary, so that the definitions of such words and phases as "war crime" can be recovered at will.